Archive for : Press

“Whoever can protest to his household and does not, is accountable [for the sins] of his household; if he could protest to his townspeople, he is accountable for their sins; if he could protest to the whole world, he is accountable for the whole world.” – Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 54b

The recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the staggering racial disparities highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic are extremely painful reminders of the deep-rooted systemic racism that continues to devastate our country and tear at our social fabric. They are also reminders of the work that we must do to ensure racial equity for all as we pursue a just world in line with our Jewish values.

Our hearts are heavy as we think about our communities and what they are currently facing. Repair the World stands with those who are on the frontlines peacefully protesting. We remain committed to serving our communities during this time, as we continue to see and hear the ways Repair cities have taken action. Now is the time for all of us to act, to seize this moment in order to realize meaningful change.

Our mission to mobilize Jews and their communities to take action to pursue a just world is more important now than ever. We are proud that many of our volunteers, Fellows, and staff have joined protests and are walking alongside their Black colleagues, Black community members, and Jews of Color. Here are a few ways you can take action today, by learning and supporting the fight for racial justice:

LEARN

Read this account from Black Jews responding to George Floyd protests in their own words

Volunteer locally and volunteer often. Volunteering brings us closer to our neighbors and builds community across lines of difference. Communities are aware that an increase in crowds will lead to an increase in needs in the wake of COVID-19. Serving your community is needed now more than ever.

Donate to local organizations fighting for racial justice in your community

Amplify voices of Black Americans and People of Color on social media and in all of your platforms and networks

We must continue to build the bridge between serving alongside our communities and pursuing racial justice. Through the power of service we can act in solidarity. Learning from teachings by Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, we know that service offers the opportunity to get proximate to the issues plaguing our communities, to build relationships, and to understand what is broken in our systems from the people who are most impacted. As we continue to mobilize thousands to combat food injustice and education inequity, we recommit to engaging our volunteers in learning about the systemic racism that makes that service necessary.

We lift up the voices who are often silenced and we stand with those who have been forced to stand for generations. We are continuing to educate ourselves to learn how to elevate the voices of Black Americans and People of Color while not putting the burden of change on them.

We have a long way to go. We are committed to working beyond this moment, listening deeply, showing up, strengthening our partnerships with those actively working towards racial equity, and living our Jewish values.

This originally appeared in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle on May 6, 2020.

The need for East End Cooperative Ministry’s (EECM) food pantry has escalated in the midst of the global health crisis. Repair the World Pittsburgh Fellows have continued to support EECM by assisting to pack and distribute food.

“For organizations run by, funded by, or serving women and non-binary people, the crisis is hitting even harder. The already fragile and gendered ecosystem of nonprofit organizational support is showing even more significant signs of collapse for women’s organizations.

We want to examine why this is happening, and how you can help address these critical issues this #GivingTuesdayNow.”

For many Jewish millennials, living far from family and remaining socially distant from friends, virtual Shabbat dinners have offered a way into community, tradition, and what it means to serve others.

During the Coronavirus pandemic direct service organizations are still mobilizing to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable. National Council of Jewish Women CEO, Sheila Katz, NCJW Board of Directors Vice President, Rabbi Lori Koffman, Repair the World CEO and President, Cindy Greenberg, and American Jewish World Service – AJWS Global Ambassador, Ruth Messinger shared ways on how one can help serve their community during this time.

This originally appeared in The New York Jewish Week on April 29, 2020.

“Several other Jewish groups have expanded their work with seniors since the coronavirus crisis began…Volunteers from Repair the World, the Jewish service organization, deliver food packages to isolated Holocaust survivors in South Brooklyn and keep in touch as pen pals, said Rachel Figurasmith, executive director of Repair the World NYC.”

This originally appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on April 23, 2020.

Concrete Jungle and Repair the World Atlanta have partnered to create food depots in Atlanta and Decatur, where volunteers deliver groceries to those in need. Also, mentioned are 100 other ways Atlantans can help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CEO and President of Repair the World, Cindy Greenberg analyzes a very important new study about the importance of service. The Jewish community can play an integral part in mobilizing service during the pandemic.

NCJW hosted a panel on finding the balance between social distancing and meeting the needs of our communities. CEO and President of Repair the World, Cindy Greenberg appeared along with Sheila Katz of NCJW and Ruth Messinger of AJWS.

“Repair the World Detroit is launching a new program, Technology Buddy 101, to help seniors learn more about technology so they can stay connected to their families during this social distancing period.”